Shane Ross (Independent)

I reiterate what Senator Fitzgerald said and not just on the substantive issues which she addressed. I do not know what has happened to that very old fashioned idea that the Houses of the Oireachtas are here to introduce legislation. We deserve an explanation for the fact that today, tomorrow and Thursday we are simply going to produce statements on issues that have been picked out of the ground. I do not understand why there is no legislation because Senator Regan has proposed two Bills and the Independents have virtually a Bill each. Senator Bacik has been inquiring about her Bill on climate change. Senator Ryan from the Labour Party has a Bill also. I do not understand why we cannot discuss those Bills if the Government has nothing to offer. The Independents and the Opposition have more legislation on the Order Paper than the Government. That is a terrible indictment of a lack of ideas or initiative. Everything is not right with the country and there has to be legislation. We deserve an explanation for why it is not being entered into the House.

A pretty big industrial relations crisis is about to break in Aer Lingus. Before the Leader of the House says that is a private company and it is not for discussion in this House, I remind him that the Government holds a 25% stake in Aer Lingus, so the matter is relevant to us all. An extraordinary contradiction exists on top of that, which must beg the question of whether the Government should sell its stake in Aer Lingus. In the budget the Government put a €10 charge on people leaving the country and that has a very bad effect on airline companies. One might ask who cares, but the Government is conflicted in this area because that is devaluing its 25% asset at the same time. What we should debate is whether the Government has any business being in the airline industry any more when it is taking measures to damage that industry.

I do not see anything specifically relevant on today's Order Paper, or any particular reason why we should be meeting, apart from blowing hot air at issues that will go away after we have blown the air. If we want to be relevant why do we not discuss a vital issue that was addressed in the Sunday Independent and other newspapers at the weekend? Apparently the IDA has issued a survey showing that 50% of the multinationals in Ireland believe they would not locate here if they were to decide on doing so again. They regret their decisions. This is a sword of Damocles hanging over the economy. If those multinationals withdraw, or if others do not come in, the economy we have at present will look like a paradise in ten years.